Super Foods to Help Type 2 Diabetics Have Lower Blood Sugar Levels!

When you’re looking for foods that will give you lower blood sugar levels, encourage healthy insulin activity and slow down your diabetic complications… you want to eat foods that are high in special fatty acids, phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins.

Not too long ago the American Diabetes Association released a “super foods” list that says to have a good diabetes management plan, it needs to contain the necessary nutrients to make it happen. This means moving from a nutrient-poor diet to a nutrient-dense diet that is abundant in:

plant foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and wholegrains

healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, avocados and omega-3 fats

a modest amount of lean animal protein

This is a diet of whole, real, fresh food… a diet you need to cook from raw materials provided by nature.Added to these foods, you also need a full complement of vitamins and supplements to correct the specific deficiencies that have led to type 2 diabetes. These are individual requirements but could include:

chromium

biotin,

vitamin D

magnesium

zinc

alpha-lipoic acid

omega-3 fats

Foods Included on the “Super Food” List include:Beans: Beans contain a substantial amount of soluble fiber. When you have type 2 diabetes, beans can help you balance your blood sugar levels and give you a constant amount of slow-burning energy. Fiber slows down the release of sugar into your bloodstream. Beans also play an important role in weight management. Simply, beans fill you up: they provide lots of bulk without a lot of calories. Adding beans to your diet means you’re more likely to get full before you eat fat.

Citrus: Pectin, the dietary fiber so effective in helping to reduce cholesterol, is present in large amounts in the white lining of citrus fruit. Pectin is also capable of lowering and helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. Citrus fruit includes: grapefruits and oranges.

Dark Green Leafy Greens: An easy way to boost your intake of anti-hypertensive nutrients is to eat leafy greens. They are high in potassium and low in sodium. As well, they provide: calcium, magnesium, folate, polyphenols, fiber and at least a trace of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids. Leafy greens include: arugula, broccoli, kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, and spinach

Deep Ocean Cold Water Fish: You already know that fish can be healthy for you but did you know that deep cold water fish like tuna and salmon make the “super foods” list? They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins B6 and B12, as well as protein. They even have trace amounts of minerals. Based on a single study, people who ate at least seven ounces of fish a week could greatly reduce their glucose intolerance and improve their blood pressure level.

Nuts: A research out of Harvard showed that more than 83,000 women who ate a handful of nuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter at least five times a week, were more than 20 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate nuts. Great sources of nuts are walnuts and almonds and are a rich source of dietary fiber as well as various components of vitamin E.

Each one of these foods have a low-glycemic index value, meaning they get absorbed slower than other foods; which helps you to have lower blood sugar levels.